The Synagogue at Capernaum

S. Mark i. 21–28

The synagogue carries us back for its origin to the land of the Exile. Cut off from the sacrificial worship of the Temple, devout Jews gathered together for prayer and hearing of the Law, and “little sanctuaries” were built for their meetings; and after the Return from Captivity, though the statelier ritual of the Temple was restored, synagogues in towns and villages became an integral part of the ecclesiastical system. They claim our interest, not only from their association with our Lord’s preaching and miracles, but as well from the fact that it was from “the eighteen prayers” which were read therein daily except on the Sabbath, that Jesus drew the chief materials for that which the Christian Church has consecrated for daily use as “the Lord’s Prayer.”

Now, of all the synagogues in Palestine, perhaps that at Capernaum is fullest of historic reference. Its erection at the sole expense of a large-hearted Roman soldier had earned for him the affection of the inhabitants, for when his servant was sick, they pleaded with Jesus on the ground that the petitioner was worthy of special consideration, because “he loved the people and built us the synagogue.” x The discovery and identification of its ruins in later years have awakened no little attention, and have set at rest a long-standing dispute as to the site of Capernaum. At Tell Hum, on the Lake, remains of a synagogue of unusual size and beauty have been excavated, the style of which belongs to the Herodian period of architecture. It appears to have been a common custom to carve over the entrance of these buildings an emblem, which, as far as we know, with a single exception, was “the seven-branched candlestick,” indicating that they were designed mainly for illumination or teaching. The exceptional instance is at Tell Hum. The lintel of the chief doorway has a carving in the centre, of “the pot of manna,” 3 which is encircled with the etc. It was a new feature. This view, however, has been combated in the Journal of Philology, in an article by Dr. Schiller-Szinessy, on” The Sources of Christian Prayers.” The words “as we forgive them” are practically found in the Talmud.” To whom does God forgive iniquity? To him who overlooks a trespass” — i.e. If you forgive a little sin against yourself God will forgive you a great one. — Talm. Bab. Rosh Hasshanah 17 a.

1 In Greek the article is expressed.

2 The two sites about which the dispute has been are Khan Minyeh and Tell Hum, distant from each other about three miles. Accounts of the reasons for choosing one or the other are to be found in Ritter, ii. 273-278. In addition to the argument drawn from the coincidence given above, Tell Hum, “High hill,” explains “Thou Capernaum, which art exalted,” etc. It must surely have had a physical elevation to have suggested such a mode of describing its moral advantages.

3 This has been photographed in a series issued by the Society for the Exploration of Palestine. Such an uncommon emblem would attract our Lord’s attention, and lead to the spiritual application of the manna, when the subject was broached. Much of His teaching was based upon objects immediately present. On this supposition a reason is found for His speaking by anticipation of the Holy Eucharist, which was not instituted till a year after; the combination of the Vine and the Manna, so suggestive to Him Who knew the end from the beginning, led Him to dwell upon that which they forev. 21-28 The Synagogtie at Capernaum 27 vine and clusters of grapes. And it is this which enables us to identify “His Own city,” as well as the building where He delivered one of His most important discourses. At the same time it helps to establish the catholic interpretation of His teaching on the occasion as anticipatory of the Holy Eucharist. “Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.” “I am the Living Bread Which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” “These things said He in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum.”

It was in this building that our Lord spent the morning of His first Sabbath-day in Galilee, and He taught with such novel power that the people were filled with amazement. They had been used to the teaching of the Scribes, with their interminable details and puerilities, and their slavery to traditional interpretation. There was no freedom of thought or speech, no departure even by a hair’s-breadth from the decisions of the doctors — nothing but the dry bones of Rabbinical exposition, and we are not surprised that when Christ came and spoke with “thoughts that breathed and words that burned,” and drew His illustrations from the sights and sounds in which they lived and moved, the very freshness delighted them, and they exclaimed at the novelty and independence of His teaching.

While Jesus was speaking, there was one in the congregation — a man of an unclean spirit — who was stirred beyond the rest by the things that he heard, and he filled the air with his wild cries and raving. It is the first mentioned of the many cases of “demoniacal possession” which fill the pages of the Gospels, but find scarcely a place in later histories.

Attempts have been made to explain away such a strange phenomenon. It has been supposed that our Lord spoke only in accommodation to a general but mistaken belief of the times, when He attributed some of the worst diseases to a shadowed, though circumstances forbade His giving the full explanation. This would be clear only when the Feast was instituted, and the thoughts of the disciples would revert to what He had said in the synagogue. direct occupation of the bodies of the afflicted by evil spirits. It is quite true that “possession” and physical infirmities were often found in the same person, and naturally so, if we accept that teaching of Scripture which makes Satan the author of bodily as well as spiritual evil, of which we have illustrations in Job’s blains and boils, or S. Paul’s thorn in the flesh, or the poor woman with the spirit of infirmity; but no disease by itself, either of body or mind, however aggravated its form, can possibly satisfy the language of Scripture, and explain the double personality which is so patent in almost every recorded case. Look at the present instance. See how at one time the man, at another the evil spirit, rules his actions. He is described as “unclean;” like the rest he had found his dwelling in the tombs; an overpowering influence had driven him away from the haunts of men, but now he comes back, struggling to assert the authority which he had lost, and in one of his better moments he had crept into the synagogue, hoping to find some peace and deliverance from his persecutor in the house of God. Had the evil power within him been undivided, it was the last place to which he would have suffered him to resort. How many have testified to the relief they have found in the services of the Church, and there alone, from temptations of the Evil One! If it was under such an impulse as this that the demoniac entered the synagogue at Capernaum, he found even more than he hoped for — no mere temporary reprieve, but permanent security from the power of his tormentor.

The foul spirit recognised the Presence of Him Who had come for the express purpose of treading Satan under His feet, and reasserting his overmastering influence upon the will of the possessed, he made him the mouthpiece of his terrible forebodings, “Ah! 2 art Thou come to destroy us?” but in the midst of his fear, albeit with an expression of contempt, “Thou Jesus the Nazarene,” he pays Him the homage which the Jew by himself would have refused, “I know Thee Who Thou art, the Holy One of God.”

That our Lord at once delivered the poor man from this terrible possession was a natural consequence of the interruption. It was the suffering with which He felt the keenest sympathy, and for which He brought the quickest relief.

S. Mark alone of the Evangelists has preserved the rebuke, “Hold thy peace.” It is full of stern severity, as well for the pretended homage, as for the accompanying contempt. From such a quarter He will brook neither the one nor the other. Had it been some poor sinful man, who in his ignorance had heaped reproachful titles on His head, He would have met them with the gentlest remonstrance; or if such an one had recognised His Divine mission in the midst of prevailing unbelief, He would have hailed the confession with gladness; but from the evil spirits, with all their determined antagonism and malignity, He would receive nothing.

And herein what a contrast there is between His conduct and ours! When we have an object in view, and it is a matter of importance, there is often far too little scruple about the means of attaining it. Any assistance is enlisted, perhaps cordially welcomed. If a Christian is enforcing the beauty of our Lord’s life, he may press into his service the confession of one hostile to the Faith. It may be that he is able to quote from it some favourable testimony, and he seems to experience satisfaction at receiving it from such an unexpected quarter. But the principle is condemned by our Lord’s rebuke in the synagogue at Capernaum, “Hold thy peace.” Better to trust to its own inherent goodness than be impatient to support a righteous cause by questionable means. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal,” and if only they are kept free from worldliness, they will be powerful to the pulling down of all strongholds of the enemy, and for the defence and security of right and justice.

Note: Wetstein on S. Matt. vi. refers the contents of the Lord’s Prayer to private prayers used by the Jews; but this is an opinion peculiar to himself. All the petitions have been identified by Freeman in spirit, if not in words, with some in the Shemoneh Esreh, except “as we forgive them,” etc., which, he says, being strictly Christian, has no parallel. For this reason Jesus commented upon this, “For if ye forgive not,”

Note: It is mentioned in Just. Mart., Dial. c. Tryph. and Tertullian’s Apology, and notices of exorcism are not infrequent; but the evil is less and less noticed, and dies out altogether at an early period. For a full discussion, cf. Delitzsch, Biblical Psychology, 358-360, Eng. Tr. For further information on Demoniacal Possession, cf. infra, chap. xxii.

Note: For a full discussion, cf. Lightfoot, Galatians, pp. 169-175, in which he clearly establishes the belief that it was a bodily not spiritual infirmity.

Note: ia is probably an interjection. It is omitted altogether in the majority of MSS.